


Build an Island

by DrimmsyDra



Series: Scrapbook [4]
Category: The A-Team (TV)
Genre: Gen, Sea monster, a walk on the beach, remote island vacations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29161422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrimmsyDra/pseuds/DrimmsyDra
Summary: Face and Murdock are on a vacation, enjoying relaxation on a remote island somewhere in the Atlantic.
Series: Scrapbook [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116377
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. Remote

Murdock watched his bare feet immerse softly into the fine white sand as he walked along the beach in the morning sun. The azure ocean sang its endless song and a light breeze caressed his overgrown tousled hair. Apart from these few things, there was silence and peace everywhere. It was good. It was more than good. It was wonderful.

There was no-one else in this part of the remote island in the Atlantic. There were several huts and small beach houses on the other side, and an island administration building, but that was all. And here on the west side; here was only himself, his best friend and his dog. Just everything he needed. What the three of them needed.

His feet carried him further along the beach, to a palm tree with a hammock hanging on it. The sight of the mottled fabric put a smile on his face, and his mind sank into the memory of yesterday. Face had spent most of the afternoon in that hammock, wearing his blue Hawaiian shirt and white shorts and with a hat on his head, which was very atypical for a man of his type. He looked cute with that funny thing on his head, a long way from that elegant, always neatly dressed con man. On the other hand, Murdock regretted that Face hid his hair from the sun. Over the winter, the blond hair darkened to almost light brown, and the pilot knew that the sun could bleach it again to honey blond, perhaps even pure blond, because they still had a week off ahead, and the sun was really powerful here.

He walked over to the hammock and settled comfortably in it, his eyes fixed on the green palm leaves above him. He sighed happily, letting his mind be pervaded by the surrounding peace.

"It's great to be here, isn't it?" he said into the regular murmur of the sea. Then his gaze slid lower and he turned his head, staring at an empty spot in the sand. "Ya know, Billy, the last few months have been kinda rough. Really. Felt like someone had a remote control in their hand and controled my life completely. Just look at it; Breakfast always at the same time. Yoga or some other physical exercise within the capabilities of the Veteran Hospital.

Lunch at the same time. Then all sorts of sessions; artistic sessions such as drawing, painting or creative writing. Even poetry. Gardening sessions in summer, handicrafts in winter. And they want me to attend. They press the buttons on their remote control to make me move, even if all I want is to stay in my room and play with you or my video games or read my comics. Yeah, I know I've read them a hundred times. But I don't mind reading them one hundred and one times. Okay, don't get me wrong; I enjoy drawing and writing, I like to take care of plants and I like to make paper cranes or model with modelling clay. But there are days when I want to be alone. And they're always afraid that it means I'm falling into depression and they push their buttons even more, forcing me out of the room.

Once a week a session with Dr Richter. Sometimes even twice a week if he feels like I'm starting to slip through his fingers.

Dinner at the same time. Then finally my personal free time without being disturbed 'cause there are no sessions after dinner. That means reading and TV and video games. Until lights-out. They want me to go to bed when they say so. Sometimes I fall asleep earlier, but sometimes I don't want to sleep at all. And they don't like it. They come to offer me sleeping pills and ask if I feel good. Sometimes I don't feel good, but I don't want to tell them. 'Cause it triggers another round of clicking on the buttons and then everything is completely out of my control," he chuckled quietly. "As if anything was ever under my control, huh?"

He paused for a moment, watching the palm leaves sway lazily in the light breeze. Then he started talking again.

"But Face needs this even more than I do. He never says a word 'bout how he really feels, ya know. Yeah, sure, he complains and whines every day, but those are little things. He never says anything 'bout the really serious stuff, always keeps it to himself and it's clear that it's eatin' him alive." Murdock looked thoughtfully at the ocean. The water was beautifully blue, as were Face's eyes on a bright sunny day when his friend felt happy. Just like yesterday. "Yeah. It's good for him to be here," he said softly, his gaze still distant. 

He didn't know how his friend had gotten a place on this beautiful island. He had stopped asking a long time ago how Face acquired all those amazing and luxurious and necessary things. He didn't need to know. He just brought them here; happy to fly that little white baby with floats instead of wheels.

"Good for him to be far from Hannibal and his Jazz for a while. Also far from grunting BA and his bad attitude. Far away from Decker and all the MPs trying to put him behind bars. And far from all the girls trying to get him into their bed." He grinned. Face never seemed tired of women's company, but that didn't mean he couldn't use a break from them.

Murdock's eyes slid back to the sand and he grinned even more as he saw Billy was wagging his tail. "Yeah, you're right, Billy. He needs to be far from me and my craziness, too."

He slipped out of the hammock and leaned forward slightly, patting the empty air in front of him before heading onto the beach again. "Let's go for a long walk, buddy, and give him time just for himself." Leaving a trail of footprints in the white sand, he walked away. Far behind him, his friend slept peacefully in their small hut.

***

Face snuggled comfortably in a thin blanket, a light smile on his face. Breakfast was waiting for him on the table along with a small piece of paper covered with Murdock's scrawl.

"Enjoy your day, muchacho. I'll be back in the early evening."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the fifth prompt of Inktober52-2021 - "REMOTE."
> 
> I picked the title "Build an Island" because of the song "Islands" by Young Decades. I've had this song stuck in my head since I decided to draw a picture of a beach/island; hummed it the whole time I was drawing.  
> My story wasn't mean to be slash, but I can see some things I wrote about in the lyrics.
> 
> Build an island, where we can be  
> I need the dry land, just you and me
> 
> All ours, it’ll be all ours, it’ll be
> 
> Build an island, where we can be  
> I need the dry land, just to be
> 
> Who knows what the two will build there... Actually, if any Inktober52 prompt is suitable in the future, there is a chance that I'll add a chapter to this short story. I'm starting to like the idea of Murdock and Face on a remote island, and I'd like to use this theme more.


	2. Sea Monsters Are Blue

"And then the monster wrapped its long tail around my waist and pulled me under the water. Man, I thought it was my last minute in this world. That horrible beast really wanted to drown me, it kept me under water no matter how hard I tried to wriggle out of its grip. I pounded its tail with my fists, kicking and squeezing it, but I don't think the monster felt any of it. Guess its scales were too hard. Or it had a thick layer of fat, like a whale or a walrus, ya know."

"Ah," Face nodded, watching his friend indulgently. He should have known that if he asked Murdock what he had been doing all day, he would get some crazy, adventurous story.

He really wondered what a social and lively person like Murdock had been doing here on this remote island, with probably only 15, maybe 20 other people, the whole day.

When Face found the pilot's message in the morning, he had just shrugged, thinking that Murdock would return sometime around lunch, too bored and demanding some joint activity. However, the pilot surprised him. He didn't show up until evening, hungry and slightly sunburnt. Face thought that perhaps Murdock had been on the other side of the island, bothering the few people who had also come here to relax. But no one came asking Face to pick up the annoying Texan. And since Murdock hadn't jabbered about any new friendships, it was possible that he had been roaming around the island all alone.

One way or another, Face didn't believe a word of the story about a sea monster. Murdock had probably only seen a snake swimming in the shallow coastal water and it had roused his rich, childlike imagination for an action-packed but utterly unrealistic adventure. But that's why he liked that crazy guy. Even an ordinary day was never really ordinary when Murdock was nearby.

Face watched as his friend stuck a fork into the grilled fish and brought a good chunk of meat to his mouth. He caught himself smiling slightly at the sight of the pilot chewing happily with a satisfied grunt. He reminded himself that he, too, had food waiting on his plate, and took a smaller, more refined bite.

"Jeez, I'm so hungry. Haven't eaten since breakfast," Murdock informed him, taking another mouthful of fish.

The logical question now would be to ask him why he hadn't come back for lunch, or didn't take enough food with him. But Face knew that asking Murdock logical questions would only lead to further absurd explanations. He was far more interested in the end of the adventure story which, of course, took place only in Murdock's head, but the con man could bet his Vette on the fact that the pilot was convinced that it had really happened.

"So," Face asked after he swallowed his mouthful, "how did you save yourself? Don't tell me you killed the monster. I'm not buying that."

"Nah," Murdock shook his head sharply and shoved a forkful of vegetables into his mouth. "Billy saved me."

Face gritted his teeth in an attempt to ignore Murdock's impolite mumble with a full mouth and tried to imagine a dog fighting with a sea monster. He had never really found out what breed Billy was. At times, he seemed like a small doggie that Murdock could easily carry in his arms. At other times, Billy seemed to be a huge dog that could drag a poor pilot along the ground. But it was certainly not an animal that could beat out any water monster.

"Oh come on, Murdock. I don't wanna hurt Billy's feelings, but a battle with a sea monster? You're kidding, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not," Murdock said seriously, reaching with his left hand under the table where he patted the empty air. "He's a good, brave boy."

"I'm not saying he isn't, but no dog can kill a sea monster."

"But I didn't say he killed it. He just drove it off."

"But… how?" Did he really mean that? Was he really trying to get information from a crazy man about an invisible dog driving a non-existent monster off? He must have been crazy himself.

Murdock scratched the back of his head, his forehead wrinkled as he thought hard.

"I'm not really sure. I was running out of oxygen and couldn't see much underwater. But I remember seeing Billy swimming around me to the monster's head. I wanted to shout at him to swim away, afraid the monster would bite him and kill him. Face," he fixed his brown eyes on the younger man with a power that was almost palpable, "never try to yell underwater when you're running out of air. I lost even the last remnants of oxygen I had. And I apparently passed out." He paused for a moment to chew on a slice of grilled zucchini. "When I came to, I was lying on the beach and Billy was sitting next to me. The monster was gone, so it must have been Billy who drove it away and pulled me out of the water."

'Yeah, it could have been,' Face thought. 'And it must have been Billy, too, who squeezed water out of your lungs and gave you artificial respiration, buddy.'

Murdock swallowed the last bite of the fish and looked at his hand, musing. "I must have been lying there for a while 'cause my clothes were almost dry and my skin was burned slightly."

'And here we are. The crazy Texan fell asleep on the beach, had a wild dream, and woke up sunburnt.' Face hid an amused smile skilfully. But Murdock wouldn't have noticed, he was thoughtfully shoving a few peas around the plate.

"I once saw a mouse on our ranch that chased away a cat. The little fella ran between her legs, biting her paws and attacking her whenever she put her head down. Her patience eventually wore thin and she ran away, leaving the annoying little demon behind. Billy must have done the same thing, I guess. Or what do you think?"

"Well…" Face pretended to really think about it. No, he certainly didn't believe this story. But why hurt the pilot needlessly? Face studied his best friend for a few seconds. He was sure that, right now, Murdock believed without a doubt that it had all happened. That a sea monster really appeared while he was wading in the tide. That he fought with it and lost. And that his dog, his devoted invisible dog, saved him. But somewhere deep inside, the pilot knew it was just his fantasy. That what he experienced had nothing to do with reality. But under that, even deeper, was something else - a voluntary denial. Deep down, Murdock had decided that a walk on the beach was too mundane and needed to be improved. Most of Murdock's current life was ordinary and boring, passing day by day according to the same hospital scenario. Life in a psychiatric ward wasn't very colorful, it was kind of black and white. Murdock himself would certainly say that it was only white. White walls, doctors and nurses in white coats, a white straitjacket, a white padded room, his white pills… so he learned to see colors where there weren't any. Invisible dogs, talking horses and even sea monsters. His fantasies were mostly innocent and amusing, sometimes annoying, and rarely dangerous. A monster driven away by his invisible dog wasn't so bad. Face could go with it. "Yeah, it could have happened like that, buddy. I remember I saw some birds drive away a much larger predatator. There were more than one of them, but Billy is a brave, nimble dog, he could have done it. If he hadn't, you wouldn't be here now, right? So thank God for Billy."

There was a faint wink. Murdock wasn't entirely sure if he really saw it or only imagined it, but did it matter? He grinned.

"Yeah. My little good boy. I'll buy him a big bone when we get back to LA. And a new ball." He patted the air under the table again, murmuring something Face couldn't catch. Something that was meant to be only for the ears of an invisible dog. Then Murdock raised his head. "Would you like some ice cream?"

"No, thanks, I'm full," Face shook his head. He had already had enough ice cream today. After a morning swim, he spent most of the day in a hammock with a good book and… well, maybe he should go for a walk with Murdock tomorrow. He didn't need to see any sea monsters, but he should move a little. If he was idle the whole week like he had been today and yesterday, he would end up last on Hannibal's obstacle course, and that always meant trouble.

Murdock fished a bucket of pistachio ice cream out from a small freezer and used a spoon to mine the sweet, light green substance. He lifted a full spoon close to his eyes and stared at it for a moment. "It was blue," he said suddenly.

"Huh?" Face frowned, still lost in unpleasant thoughts.

"That monster. It was blue."

"Uh… Okay. And that means…?"

Murdock looked at him, his brown eyes thoughtful and serious. "Hannibal's monsters are green. It doesn't matter if they come from a lake, sea or ocean. They're always green. But this one was blue."

Murdock licked the ice cream from the spoon and kept thinking. Yes, it was blue. Maybe… maybe there was a touch of green, but blue predominated. Blue-gray, actually. He knew the shade of blue. His gaze focused. He knew it because he was looking at it. Right here and now. Face's eyes.

Yes, that made sense. He always saw the ocean in Face's eyes. Azure blue water on a sunny day when everything was okay - not fine, but really okay. And the blue-gray of a cloudy day as the con man's mood turned south. Which meant… why were those eyes blue-gray now? Here on a sunny day?

"Face?" Murdock said softly, his voice tensed with sudden concern.

"Yeah?" Those eyes slid on him, blue and gray melted into each other.

Murdock licked his lips. "Do you think I should tell Hannibal? That the sea monsters are blue?"

Face blinked. Grateful for the distraction, he left his thoughts of dreadful obstacle courses and yelling colonels and endless running and focused on Murdock's words.

"Well, yeah. You probably should. If you saw that the monster was blue, then Hannibal should know he's been fooling people all the time." A light smile. On both sides.

Murdock nodded, watching the gray of the cloudy day fade, leaving only azure blue. "Yeah, it's definitely blue," he said, not knowing himself if he meant the sea monster, the ocean, or the pair of eyes smiling at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the sixth prompt of Inktober52-2021 - "MONSTER".
> 
> I didn't expect to get back to this story so quickly, but I couldn't resist the idea of a sea monster.


End file.
